The present invention relates to buckles and more particularly to buckles used with straps to secure loads to vehicles.
Loads are often secured to vehicles by straps that use a buckle to allow the length of the strap to be adjusted. Load carrier straps are often used to secure heavy loads. The buckles must be sturdy and capable of reliably gripping a strap under high tension. Thus, buckles are typically made of metal which creates a risk of damaging the finish of a vehicle on which the strap is used. Metal buckles may also damage the finish on the load being secured by the strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,821 discloses a buckle cover adapted to slide over a buckle for protecting adjacent objects. Unfortunately, this cover interferes with normal use or adjustment of the buckle. The cover must be slid onto and off of the buckle with each use and is therefore cumbersome to use. The cover is also subject to being dislodged or inadvertently left off, leaving the metal buckle exposed. In addition, the cover is rather bulky and unstylish in appearance.